To be honest, you're probably not going to marvel at the Pokewalker technology, nor are you going to give awards to the mini-games that you play on the device. But it definitely opens up a new avenue of things to do in the Pokemon adventure. Idle Pokemon that would normally sit in your storage box collecting dust can now have function in the real world: beam one to the Pokewalker and use it to collect items and watts. Your Pokemon can only gain a single level during a walk so it's not a good exploit for leveling up the creatures to crazy high levels, but it's fun to have the ability to drag along a rare Pokemon just as you would a Tamagotchi or a Digimon.

There are other new elements too. Along with the same ol' quest in HeartGold and SoulSilver is the Pokecathlon, a single player series of DS-focused mini-games. They're all stylus based so it's pretty clear that these were added into the mix and not a part of the original design. These mini-games are fun additions that utilize the new Pokemon sprites -- the ones that tag along behind you during the adventure -- in side games that are cool, if basic, additions.

Plus it brings back a few elements that were abandoned in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, such as the events that are tied in with the system clock and calendar. These come in place of the Poketech gadgets you collected in the previous games, so you give a little to gain a little. I love the fact that you have events on specific days and times, but I do miss the ability to pull up my Pokemon creature's status on the lower screen.

The Pokewalker isn't much more than an advanced Tamagotchi, but hey, it actually does some fun things.

Everything else about the design, from the local trading to the online battling, remains completely intact. To keep HeartGold and SoulSilver compatible with the other versions on the Nintendo DS nothing has changed with the local wireless and online components. You can also still pull in your creatures from the Game Boy Advance Pokemon if you play on a system with a GBA cart slot -- in other words, not the DSi.

Pokemon HeartGold Version

The Gold and Silver standards in Pokemon gameplay are now set for a new generation as Nintendo brings back Pokemon Gold & Silver in enhanced versions for the Nintendo DS platform.

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The Verdict

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver feels, at least to me, like a gap filler to make the wait for a new Pokemon game just a little more bearable. Gold and Silver are considered by many to be the best of the Pokemon RPG best, and it's easy to see why after playing this remake: it's still an addictive and fun adventure, fully compatible with all the versions of Pokemon made for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance.

But, yes, it's a remake. Just like FireRed and LeafGreen on GBA, HeartGold and SoulSilver existed already in the Pokemon canon, and obviously the design team didn't work as hard to recreate an existing game as it would have an original experience.

GameFreak did, admittedly, add a bunch of elements to make a purchase worthwhile, both for the double (or triple, or quadrupal) dippers and the newbies. The Pokewalker is the Pokemon equivalent of the free prize inside a cereal box: you might find yourself buying it for the gadget than the game itself, but it's the game itself that contains all the deliciousness.